Hemorrhoidectomy Surgery for Hemorrhoid Sufferers-The Essentials

Aug 5
08:35

2011

Terry Legaleto

Terry Legaleto

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Hemorrhoidectomy surgery has become commonplace in the treatment of hemorrhoids for hemorrhoid sufferers.But those sufferers approach a hemorrhoidectomy with some apprehension.Is this justified?

mediaimage
When a hemorrhoid does not respond to conventional home treatments,Hemorrhoidectomy Surgery for Hemorrhoid Sufferers-The Essentials Articles a hemorrhoidectomy may be your best alternative.  A hemorrhoidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the hemorrhoid, and there are several methods used. Whichever method you use, hemorrhoidectomy surgery is almost always an outpatient procedure and can be performed in a hospital or a surgery center.

With any hemorrhoidectomy, anesthesia will be used. The kind will vary depending on the type of surgery you are having, what the hospital or surgery center normally uses or recommends, your personal preference, as well as your overall health. A general anesthesia will put you to sleep through the entire procedure. A physician might use a local anesthesia to numb the skin by injecting the anesthetic directly in the targeted area. The third choice is spinal anesthesia, where you are numbed from the waist down by an injection of anesthesia into your spine.

The most common hemorrhoidectomy procedure is when the surgeon makes incisions around the hemorrhoid using a scalpel, the vein within the hemorrhoid is tied off to stop any bleeding, and then the hemorrhoid is cut off. Depending on the size of the incision, the surgeon may use sutures to close the wound or might just treat it with an antibiotic agent and cover the wound.

Another, newer hemorrhoidectomy procedure is the use of a stapling device to both remove the hemorrhoid and close the subsequent wound. This method can pull surrounding tissue over the wound and staple it in place. This can make for a quicker recovery in many cases, and cause less post operative pain for patients.

A third option is a laser hemorrhoidectomy. The procedure is the same as same as using a scalpel, but it causes less damage to the tissue and surrounding tissue and it results in less bleeding. The use of a laser for surgery will usually result in a shorter recovery time for the patient.

Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, so explore all your options carefully. While a laser hemorrhoidectomy may sound like the best method, it too has drawbacks. It is much more costly than traditional surgery and carries an increased risk of surgical fire. Traditional surgery, while cheaper, has a longer recovery time, and the patient has an increased risk of postoperative problems, like pain, bleeding, and infection. It may also be more difficult to have a bowel movement for a time after the surgery. Even surgery using the stapling device comes with associated risks. Ultimately, the choice is a personal one, best discussed with your doctor.